Adam & Eve – The First Couple
Proof they were real people – Some believe Gen. allegory – poetry.
Adam – mentioned 30 times by name in Bible
— 18 times in Gen. – 12 in rest of Bible – 9 in N.T.
–Luke 3:38 – genealogy by Luke (accurate historian) from Jesus back to
Adam
Adam – referred to 16 times in Gen. without calling by name – “Let us make men” – Gen. 1:26
— 3 times in Rom. 5 – “By one man…” Rom. 5:12
— 1 time in I Cor. – “the first man…” I Cor. 15:47
Adam & Eve – referred to as “male & female” 2X in N. T.
Mt. 19:4 Mark 10:6 – direct from Gen. 1:27
Eve – mentioned 4 times by name
2X – Gen., II Cor. 11:3 “serpent beguiled Eve” – confirms Gen. record is historical, I Tim. 2:13 – same here
Paul’s presentation of doctrine of sin depends on a literal Adam.
– Rom. 5
Jesus’ explanation of the purpose of marriage depends on a literal Adam.
–Mt. & Mark
John McArthur – “It is therefore a serious mistake to imagine that modern scientists can speak more authoritatively than Scripture on the subject of origins.”
Good science – observable and repeatable
Scientists say – “Virgins don’t have babies and people don’t rise from the dead.”
*Gen. – God’s eye witness account of what happened in the beginning.
*When it comes to origins – 2 kinds of Christians –
1) Those who say – God said what He meant and meant what He said,
AND 2) Those who say – I know what He said but here’s what He really meant.
(Some become judge & jury on what is inspired and authoritative & what is not.)
I. Their formation (Crowning moment of creation)
II. Their fall (Catastrophic collapse)
III. Their future (Consequences of the Curse)
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I. Their formation (Crowning moment of creation)
Gen. 1: 26-29 Gen. 2:7 Gen. 2:18-24
This happened on Day 6 of Creation Wk. – All land animals & man & woman – Many animals – one human couple
In these passages – 1st indication of Trinity – “Our image…” Ch. 1:26 vs. 26
–Created in image of God – “Our likeness…”
–Dominion principle – “rule over fish, birds, cattle, creeping things” – vs. 26
–Propagation of human life – “Be fruitful & multiply…” – vs. 28
–Vegetarian diet –“plant yielding seed…food for you…”– vs. 29
–Reason for marriage – “joined to his wife…” Ch. 2:24 vs. 24
–made for each other
A. Creation of Man – Adam – Gen. 2:7 – (Gen. 2 – close-up view of Day 6)
1. “the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground…”
Action figures? – “Dirt Man” – ladies call you “dirty old man”
2. “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” & “man became a
living soul” – man’s spirit and soul were imparted to him by God
directly – If a man’s body evolved from animals, he would already
have possessed the “nephesh” – breath & soul. – 1st CPR
— Adam – appearance of age – fully formed adult male – same with Universe
3. Gen. 2:18 – “It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
Everything had been good, but here – “not good…”
4. Gen. 2:19 – Adam names the animals – “cattle, fowl of the air, beast of the field…” – shows language & intellect
J. McArthur – some preacher – “God held off creating Eve until after Adam named the animals so he would not have to deal with a second opinion on every name.”
5. “not found a suitable helper for him” – vs. 20
Joke – “Adam, what do you think?” – Adam said, “I need a helper who is like me but not like me – one who would love me, respect me, cook for me, maybe give me a backrub, bring me the paper” — God “That will cost you an arm & a leg,” Adam – “What can I get for a rib?”
B. Creation of Woman
1. “God caused a deep sleep” – God performed 1st surgical procedure – “took a rib” – Hebrew tsela – actually the side –
— for bone & flesh – full genetic structure needed for propagation
— the 1st woman made from man
2. “The Lord fashioned (built) into a woman – and brought her to the man.”
The perfect man meets the perfect woman
What did they look like?
3. Adam said – “This is now bone of my bones…”
Woman-man with a womb
THEN he said, “Holy Smoke – would you look at that!”
4. “For this reason…cleave (be joined to his wife)”
–created for each other
**One IMAGE – two kinds – male & female – Image – consciousness, intellect, emotion, reasoning, worship, creative expression.
II. Their fall (Catastrophic Collapse)
Gen. 3:1-7
— Perfect world – “very good” – Gen. 1:31 – lit. “exceedingly good”
— absolutely perfect – no death, no disease, no sickness, no suffering, no bloodshed, no disorder, no chaos, no deterioration
— Adam & Eve had everything they needed
A. Satan enters the world stage – Gen. 3:1
1. Takes over the body of a serpent – Eve not afraid – she had seen all the animals – they were tame — not wild – she had no fear – serpent – standing upright – eye to eye
— big snake – Anaconda, etc.
2. Reveals strategy for all times – vs. 1
“Did God really say…?” – Casting doubt on the Word of God.
Eve – did not defend the goodness of God – did not say “any” or “freely” of the trees.
& she said – “neither shall you touch it”, which God did not say.
3. Twists truth – “you will not die” — not physical death immediately – but spiritual death – separated from God
— physical death later – Hebrew – “dying you shall die”
4. New theology – “you will be like God” – vs. 5 – “God is not telling you everything” — Satan’s lie – “Do whatever you want. It’s your life”. — New Age – “you will become god-like” — Mormon’s — becoming a god – Oprah – “I bow the knee and pray to myself” — “The image I have of God is me.” Truth – mankind became like God — result – God became like man.
B. Satan presents temptation – v.6 –
1) “good for food” — tastes good – physical appetite
2) “pleasant to the eyes” – looks good – emotional appetite
3) “to make one wise” — feels good – intellectual appetite
Compare to Lk. 4:3-13
1) lust of the flesh 2) lust of the eyes 3) pride of life
I Jn. 2:16 “All that is in the world, lust of flesh, lust of eyes, pride of life is not of God” – this is all he has
C. Eve yields to temptation – vs. 6
–gives to her husband who was “with her” — & he ate.
Where was Adam? – “with her” – Adam did not say – “Hold it!”
Some believe “there” – some “not there” – God – “Because you heeded the voice…”
Absence of spiritual leader – Eve deceived – Adam disobeyed
D. Eyes opened – know they were naked – sewed fig leaves together to cover sin and mask shame — “loin covering”
— Eve – “Does this fig leaf make me look fat?”
E. Question — Why did Satan address Eve & not Adam –
1) Created 2nd? 2) Got “info” 2nd hand? 3) I Peter 3:7 – “the weaker vessel”? “Give honor unto the wife that your prayers be not hindered.”
— needs protection, provision & strength.
Satan’s desire – always go against God’s order –
(God Man Christ)
(Christ Woman Church)
Created order began with Adam
— I Cor. 11:3 – “… head of woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.” Was Christ God? Yes – Phil. 2:6 – “not robbery to be equal with God”
2:8 – “humbled himself” – “obedient” – 2:7 – “took the form of a servant”
— God’s line of order is in every area of life – presented in creation.
I Tim. 2:13 – “For Adam was first formed, then Eve.”
1) When Jesus was on earth, His role was to obey the Father in what He said & what He did. He said, “Not my will, but Thy will be done”. God’s order brought blessing!
2) God’s line of order — “head of Christ – God” – “head of woman – man”.
I Cor. 11:8-9 — “Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.” For mankind, God’s order brings blessing and protection.
III. Their future – (Consequences of the Curse)
A. Hiding from God – vs. 8
B. Three questions – 1) Where are you?
2) Who told you that you were naked?
3) Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?
C. Passing the buck – vs. 12 – “The woman you gave me …”
(not my fault)
1) What have you done?
vs. 13 – “The serpent deceived me…”
(not my fault)
D. The Curse –1) To the Serpent – vs. 14 (no question)
a) – On your belly you will go – dust you will eat – maybe had legs – but stood upright
2) To Satan – vs. 15
a) – Holy war between your seed & her seed
(1st indication of virgin birth)
b) – He will crush your head – But you will bruise his heel — “spike driven through both feet, one heel is pushing into beam of the cross”
3) To the woman – vs. 16
a) Pain in childbirth – Josephus said, Eve – 53 children
b) Desire for husband – desire for love & protection “Husbands, love your wives”
“he will rule over you”.
— Good News – “he will be the big Kahuna”
— Living Bible – “he will be the King Tut”
4) To Adam — vs. 17-19
“Because you heeded the voice of your wife “
1) disobeyed God
2) abandoned his leadership role
3) followed the wishes of his wife
a) Cursed is the ground – work to eat thorns (crown of thorns), thistles, weeds, bugs, trouble with drought, flooding, . etc.
b) Now you will die – “from dust…to dust”
IV. P.S. – Vs. 20
A. Adam named Eve – vs. 20 – “mother of all living”
— means life – Adam believed that God would provide life.
— all mankind descended from Adam & Eve
B. God provided a covering – vs. 21 – “fig leaves – unacceptable”
1) Bloodshed & death of animal for atonement – substitute to redeem sinners
2) Man’s covering not enough
C. Man – used fig leaves to cover sin & shame
1) Today – people using their own “fig leaves” to cover sin & shame
“I’m as good as people around me” – “I’ve done more good than bad — if there is a just God, He will receive me” – “I’ve been in the church all my life” – “I was baptized when I was a kid” — Baptism or Ch. Membership.
2) Fig Leaf Faith! Redeemed – “Overwhelmed by grace” – “Amazed at the finished work of the cross” – “Thank you for saving me”
3) Jesus died on the cross “uncovered” Ps. 22:18– (Satan made sure) – (to provide His blood to COVER our sins)
Jesus died for our sin & our shame – took our sin – suffered our shame
When Jesus said, “It is finished”, He was saying “I’ve got you covered”.